Rocking around the Christmas Tr... oh, it’s died.
Let’s be real, many of us are ready to feel festive and get decorating, but a Christmas tree on its last legs on Christmas Day is a tragic affair.
Unsurprisingly, searches for ‘when to put the Christmas tree up’ have soared by 170% in the last 30 days with some impatient homeowners putting theirs up already.
To help you keep the festive spirit alive for longer and reduce the chances of your beloved Christmas tree drying up before Santa arrives, John Lawless of heating specialists BestHeating, has teamed up with horticulturist and Christmas tree expert Deemer Cass from Fantastic Gardeners to reveal the dos and don’ts when it comes to keeping Christmas trees alive for longer.
And we hate to break it you, but you’re probably making all three of these simple mistakes.
1. Placing your Christmas tree near heat sources
According to the pros, although Christmas trees look great when positioned near a cosy fire, placing it near a blazing heat source like this is a big mistake and will result in the tree drying out, looking wilted and shedding its needles all before December 25.
Lawless explains: “The Christmas tree should take centre stage but always avoid positioning near a heat source like radiators and fireplaces.
“For a home with underfloor heating, try and turn it off in the area with your tree. If you can’t avoid a warm place, make sure the stand or box is constantly topped up with water as a Christmas tree uses up to two litres of water a day.”
Yup – two whole litres! “There’s no such thing as overwatering unless you fill the stand up every hour,” adds Cass.
2. Putting it in a dark corner
Figuring out the best place for the Christmas tree can be tricky, especially with a smaller space (fellow studio flat dwellers, we feel ya!) and the best spot is often in the corner of the room if space is limited, that way it’s tucked out of the way and isn’t at risk of being knocked over.
However, you need to make sure that your cosy corner gets plenty of natural sunlight, otherwise you could end up with a needleless tree come Christmas.
Deemer adds: “Another key tip to note with potted Christmas trees is that you mustn’t keep indoors for more than 12 days at a time as it will slowly start dying. Move your tree outside every 10-12 days for around 24-30 hours.”
3. Having it up in a dry room
As well as the position of the Christmas tree, many forget about the conditions the tree needs to survive – and your living room is probably drier than it likes.
Lawless explains: “If the air is too dry, it will cause the tree to wither, in which case, use a humidifier to add moisture in the air and help your Christmas tree stay alive and fresh until the end of the holiday season.”
Now to get back to rockin’ around our (happy and healthy) Christmas trees...